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Hunting & Fishing Elk hunting lightweight rifle makers

Mag 300

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Dec 31, 2006
    1,891
    59
    66
    Downers Grove Illinois
    I’m considering getting a custom light weight rifle for Elk
    who are the best at precision rifles that are light
    Mcwhorter?
    HS precision ?
    Brown precision ?

    others for me to check out ?

    Thanks in advance
     
    What is your budget?

    What is "light weight" to you?

    What is your expected max range you think you will/can shoot?
     
    if your building a complete custom gun, dont worry about who builds the lightest. Worry about who builds a quality rifle. You get to choose every component you want. The gun will be as light or as heavy as you decide. If your in a time crunch then I'd call up a few different gunsmiths and see what parts they have on hand and what the turn around time would be.

    I have had a few GAP and Accurate Ordnace rifles. They are hammers.
     
    What caliber? For this fall? What options do you like? What scope?

    8-9lbs is pretty easy depending on what scope you want.
     
    Total weight 8 to 9 pounds with scope
    Budget : will spend what it takes to get the right rifle up to $5K
    max 500 yds
    Hey Dude, far be it for me to talk a guy out of a custom rifle. I've certainly built a few. For what you are talking about doing, and with the weight parameters you specify, you could get what you want without spending nearly the coin. A Tikka in a McMillan or Manners in an appropriate caliber and a lighter weight scope would check all your boxes. For me, I put the Tikka in a McMillan Sako Varminter stock chambered it in 7LRM and topped it with a Leupold MK6 3-18. Its killed 3 caribou and an elk in two years, and routinely nails tiny targets at 900+. It weighs just a tick over 9 pounds with 5 rounds in the DBM and one in the chamber.
     
    Seekins Havak
    Barret Fieldcraft

    2 great factory rifles that should be under 3/4" moa and can easily make 8 lbs with a medium weight scope. Under $2K as well.

    Seekins has a brand new ultralight rifle too. Might have a wait time.

    I built on a Tikka with a PROOF Pre-Fit barrel. It's not even bedded yet and it's shoiting 1/2-3/4 moa with my handloads. 8 lbs with NF NX-8 and rings, 600 yard gun easy.
     
    Thanks for the information and suggestions
    I never knew seeking made rifles and will also look at the Tikka
    i also looked at the hs precision with the pro 2000 action spl i beleive

    keep suggestion inbound and thanks to all who commented
     
    Check out gap’s ready to ship page. Plenty of lightweight hunting style rifles that are ready to go and smash an elk.
     
    One last thing. Christiansen Arms is another great option. I've owned a 300win classic and a 300wsm ridgeline and they both shot around 1/2-3/4" easily with factory ammo. I'd imagine they both did a lot better with better shooters and hand loads.
     
    Take a look at Straighjacket Armory, makes some sweet light sticks. I have a couple of HS's and not sure if their weights will be where you want with the Pro 2000 actions.
     
    My formula has always been:
    Badger Bottom metal
    Manners EH1
    Defiance Deviant Hunter or Lone Peak
    Proof 24" barrel
    Triggertech trigger

    If you go with the titanium Lone Peak, and the non adjustable manners, combined with a lighter weight scope( Leupold Mark 5 3-18 is a good option) I bet that gets you right at about 9lbs. You could go with a hinged floor plate and save even more. Brake is a must if you are planning on going with a 7 or 30 cal, 6.5 SAUM or the like might be doable. I use an adjustable eh1 and non titanium actions and that lands me around 11.5 lbs. I shoot a .300 winnie though and I would rather "sack up" and carry the extra 2-3 lbs than deal with excessive recoil. I have even started shooting a relatively milder load with the 185 or 195 grain bullets. I do shoot suppressed and I am all about being able to spot hits/misses and provide quick follow up shots if needed. I've found those projectiles are more than adequate when place BEHIND the shoulder at ranges between 300-600 on elk. I've never really 'had" to shoot much farther than that.
     
    I am more of off the shelf hunting rig, I don't see what I get for the extra nuggets with a custom rig, save the nuggets for hunts.

    Tikka T3 best bang for the nuggets, in 17 years selling, never had a single Tikka returned for QA issue
    Kimber Hunter shorter and lighter than the Tikka for short action calibers
    Kimber Mnt ascent, you cant find much lighter rig
    Rem Model 7 SS light weight short rig
    Christian Arms sold very well, Mesa and Ridgeline
    Fierce over the last 2-3 years couldn't keep them on them shelf, constantly on order pre sold

    Cant help much on one off custom

    good luck
     
    My reason to go custom was to get something that wasn't available. I hunt suppressed so the barrel had to be have enough meat to thread. Also had to have the 3pos safety. Lastly I didn't want it to weigh a ton.

    The kimber comes close, and I've had a bunch, but I didn't want to be stuck using a adapter to get the threads upto 5/8"

    Overall I'm extremely happy with my LRI Win70/proof/htgEDGE 300wsm. I picked up all the parts on various forms for substantially less then if I bought new.
     
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    I have a Barrett Fieldcraft in 30-06, shoots great, but has a good amount of recoil. Would like to see the 280AI if they ever make it out with one.